Modern and semi-modern cars come with a variety of safety features that more often than not work well… but when do they play up? Expect them to be a nuisance. Today’s lockout story is brought to you by Ford, with their entry in the “most annoying car” category with the “S-Max”
Overseas the Sm-Max is known as the Ford Galaxy. Now with a name like Ford “Galaxy” you’d be expecting something modern and sleek… capable of… Driving you right across the Galaxy right? Well. I’m not saying it couldn’t, but gee whiz. You might arrive with all your hair pulled out.
Last Sunday I received no less than 3 calls from the same lady who had recently purchased a 2nd hand S-Max. Her first issue was… the car just would not open. The keyless entry was broken (though she’d known this at the time of purchase) but now try as she may, the key would not turn in the driver’s door (no key entry to the front passenger door, crazy right?)
I arrive, and sure enough, the key won’t turn I make my way into the car using my secret ways of a Southport locksmith… and then we lock the car to see if the problem has been rectified. Nope. Still can’t open the door with the key. On a hunch, I opened unlocked the boot, which also unlocked the driver’s door, which could now be locked and relocked. Very odd.
A few hrs later a get a call from the same lady, she has gone shopping and bought some electrical items which were in the car… and she can’t lock the passenger doors, front or rear. Locking the front door does not lock them. After some experimentation, we realised the central locking was indeed kaput, but the car could be locked by locking the driver’s door, walking around to the front passenger side door, climbing in, and pressing the “lock all doors” button. Annoying. But OK in the short term.
It’s Time for Another Car Lockout!
Not 15 minutes later I get ANOTHER call. The car alarm simply won’t stop going off. My new best customer locks the driver’s side door, climbs in the front passenger door, and presses the lock all doors button, then tries to walk away from the car to do some more shopping… only to have the car alarm start after a few minutes.
After more investigation, we realised it was the back seat belt. She was using the seatbelt to secure a computer monitor on the back seat, and the sensors in the seat checking there was a weight on the seat, coupled with the seatbelt being engaged sent a message to the car’s computer that perhaps a child had been left forgotten, locked in the car. We undid the seatbelt and all was quiet in the world.
Needless to say, my now very frustrated client was thinking she had bought a lemon, but all was not lost. A quick trip to the auto electrician the following week sorted out the central locking and all her problems were solved. Turns out there was nothing wrong with the keyless lock button on her keyring… the central locking itself was haywire.
In this modern day and age, car makers are always looking for ways to make their cars safer, and more user friendly and often they achieve this… but gee whiz guys – sometimes less is more.
Allcoast Locksmiths are experts in all things car and Lockout on the Gold Coast. For most makes and models, we can get you back in, solve strange locking issues, pop boots, cut keys and make new transponders.
Need an Auto Locksmith on the Gold Coast? Call us today on 0406 333 300.